Pastor’s Message for April 2024

Then seizing him, they led him away and took him into the house of the high priest. Peter followed at a distance. And when some there had kindled a fire in the middle of the courtyard and had sat down together, Peter sat down with them. A servant girl saw him seated there in the firelight. She looked closely at him and said, “This man was with him.”

But he denied it. “Woman, I don’t know him,” he said.

-Luke 22:54-57

Dear Friends,

     Peter is one of my favorite people in the Bible. You never have to wonder what Peter is thinking, because by the time you start wondering he’s already told you what’s on his mind. He is brash, prideful, and sees himself as the leader among the disciples. It is no surprise then, when Jesus tells his disciples that they would all abandon him Peter informs Jesus that he would never betray his Lord, that he would be willing to suffer and die with Jesus. But Jesus tells Peter that he won’t just deny Christ, but he will do it three times!

     One might expect Peter to deny Christ because he is under intense trial or persecution. One might expect Peter to be faced with the prospect of torture before he would even think about denying Jesus. I’m sure Peter was willing to face dragons and demons before he would even consider denying Jesus. And so we are shocked and alarmed when the persecutor comes. We shudder with fear as Peter faces the one who would cause him to tremble and cower in fear as they accuse him of being connected with Jesus. Who could possibly shake the faith of the one who Jesus called ‘the Rock?’ Was it a Roman soldier? Was it a massive crowd? Was it the Emperor himself? No. . .

It was a little girl.

     That’s right, Peter was afraid of a servant girl, to the point of denying Jesus. The Rock’s mighty faith was reduced to rubble by a little girl asking a simple question, “Weren’t you with him?” This passage challenges us to consider our own prideful boasting. It’s easy to say “I would never betray Jesus!” But like Peter, we fall short. We deny Jesus multiple times a day! The depth of our sin makes it impossible to remain faithful. But through the gift of the Holy Spirit, we are equipped with a faith that can withstand the toughest of challenges. Rather than boast about our own strength, let’s boast in the power of the Holy Spirit.

God loves you, and so do I,
Pastor Jim